The Importance of Family

Disclaimer: I don't own Bonanza, not making any money, just cheap thrills.
Warnings: Angst, Violence, AU
Rating: FRT
The Importance of Family
Chapter 2
The talk Ben had planned to have with his youngest didn't go as well as he had hoped. The fact it was delayed until later that night didn't help matters any. He had planned to talk to Joe after dinner, instead he had found himself talking to Mike Bowers before dinner, a very angry Mike Bowers.
"Mr. Cartwright I didn't bring my daughter here so she could be played with and tossed aside." The irate father faced off with the head of Ponderosa Outfitters, his blue eyes flashing with anger.
Ben schooled his features to show a calmness he didn't feel as he was confronted by the angry father. "I'm sorry Mr. Bowers, I'm not sure what you're talking about."
"Oh I'll just bet you don't," Bowers growled. "I'm talking about that young playboy you've raised."
Since nobody would ever think of his two older sons as playboys and Bowers wasn't looking at either of them, Ben assumed he meant Joe. "I wouldn't say Joe is a playboy Mr. Bowers, but he is young and no where near ready to settle down."
"I understand that Mr. Cartwright, but that doesn't excuse what he did."
Ben sighed, silently asking for patience from above, "Mr. Bowers could you please tell me what Joe did?"
The other man's calm, reasoned tone did nothing to temper Mike's anger, rather Ben's calmness in the face of his hostility only served to stoke his anger. "What he did?" he yelled. "I'll tell you what he did. That boy took my little girl out on a date," he snapped.
Ben glanced away, biting his lip to refrain from laughing.
"I don't understand what the problem is Mr. Bowers," Hoss stepped in. He knew his little brother had been dating a lot of girls lately, so he could be considered a playboy, but he wouldn't ever treat them badly so why was this man so angry?
"You don't..." Mike trailed off, shaking his head. "I've heard about that young man, out with a different woman just about every night. Playing fast and loose with their feelings, taking advantage of them. I won't have it Mr. Cartwright," he went on, turning his attention back to Ben. "I want it stopped and I want it stopped now."
Ben blew out an exasperated breath. "Mr. Bowers how old is your daughter?"
"That doesn't change what your son is doing."
"Mr. Bowers, please."
"Fine, she's twenty-one."
Ben let out a short laugh, quickly biting it off. "Are you aware Mr. Bowers that Joe is not yet twenty?"
Mike Bowers wasn't to be mollified by that, however, "That doesn't change anything. He's still a playboy and is obviously taking advantage of my little girl."
Adam snorted. Thoroughly fed up with the pompous ass standing in their living room, he put his two cents in. "Mr. Bowers your little girl has been chasing after my brother since she got here. In fact this afternoon she flirted and challenged him to the point that he attempted to ride a killer horse just to impress her." Adam ignored the small voice that reminded him that impressing the girl had only been a part of it. After all, there was no way to determine what had tipped the scale for Joe in favor of taking such a crazy risk. "It is only because my little brother is such an excellent rider that he was successful rather than being crippled as the previous two riders were. Your little girl didn't stick around to congratulate him though, the moment I showed up, angry at him for taking the risk, she took off."
"So she doesn't like to hear men yelling at each other, I hardly see what that has to do with your brother taking advantage of Sarah."
Adam narrowed his eyes. "Seems to me," he calmly continued, "it's Joe we should be worried about being hurt, not your daughter."
"How dare you!" Bowers snapped. "Are you going to allow your son to speak this way to me Cartwright?"
Ben looked between the two men, as if considering his decision, though in truth he was trying to calm himself down. "Mr. Bowers as your daughter is an adult, more than capable of taking care of herself, there isn't anything I can or will do to keep Joe from dating her. As for Adam, I couldn't agree with him more. Now if you'll excuse me, we were just about to sit down to a family dinner."
"You'll regret this Cartwright," Bowers promised. "I'll make sure everybody knows about my dissatisfaction with Ponderosa Outfitters." Without another word, Mike turned and stalked outside, slamming the door behind him.
“Well that went well,” Ben sarcastically observed as the other man stormed from the house. It was times like these that he was glad he'd made the decision long ago that paying guests would have their own dining area.
“Don't worry about him Dad, he's nothing more than a bag of hot air,” Adam advised.
Ben shot his oldest an incredulous look. “I'm not worried about him badmouthing us. We have a solid reputation, which I doubt Mr. Bowers could have any affect on.”
“But you are worried?” Hoss asked.
Ben sat down at the table, glancing at Hoss through steepled fingers. “I am Hoss,” he confirmed. “I didn't realize that Bowers' daughter had anything to do with Joe riding Widowmaker and frankly it worries me. I've seen your brother do some crazy things to impress a girl before, but he's always had enough sense not to do anything too dangerous, until now.”
Adam sighed, he hadn't meant to add to his father's worries. “I don't think the girl was the only reason Dad, or even the main reason. She may or may not have tipped the scales for him, but she was just one factor.”
“Thank you son, but I'm not sure that makes me feel any better,” Ben admitted with a grim smile.
Unaware of the confrontation between the two fathers, Joe was having a great time. He and Sarah had gone for a drive, neither of them in any hurry to be around other people. Speeding along curving mountain roads, Joe expertly steered his classic Fiat Spider through the turns, a delighted grin on his face.
From the time he'd gotten his driver's liscence, Joe had loved the feeling of power beneath his hands as he sped along the back roads. Combined with the speed, it gave him a feeling of freedom and control over his own destiny; something he'd always, it seemed, felt the need for. As the youngest in his family, he'd always had somebody looking out for him. It was a feeling he'd loved when he was younger, but as he'd gotten older he began to rebel against it. The sense of loving protectiveness changing to a feeling of being controlled by others.
“This is really fun Joe, but do you think we could stop somewhere for a little while?” Sarah asked, breaking into his thoughts.
Joe turned towards the woman at his side, anticipation lighting his eyes as he took in the seductive look she was giving him. “I know just the place,” he grinned.
Sarah returned the smile, “I thought you might,” she purred. Sarah had known this boy would be the perfect means to escape her overbearing father's watchful eye. She had no doubt he would object to her date with Joe, but if he knew who she really intended to see, he'd whisk her back to New York so fast it would make her head spin. Of course, she hadn't really given him a chance to object to Joe, but with the younger man right there at the ranch, it was easier to sneak off with him first. It was a shame really that she had to use Joe this way, he seemed like a nice boy, she mused. Giving a mental shrug, she told herself that he would understand, after all he had to deal with overbearing relatives too.
She smiled as they pulled onto a hidden road, parking a moment later next to a beautiful lake. It was just as Tom had described it to her when they'd made their plans. Luckily the cowboy knew Joe well enough to know that he would bring her here the moment she suggested they spend some time alone.
Joe frowned when he saw the battered jeep already parked at the lake. “I'm sorry Sarah, guess we'll have to find someplace else to be alone,” he apologized. He reached for the gear shift, stopping when a soft hand covered his.
“Actually Joe this is right where I wanted to come,” Sarah quietly began. Licking her lips, she suddenly realized how difficult this was going to be. She hadn't really thought before how this might make Joe feel. She'd been so sure he'd understand her reasons that it hadn't occurred to her, until now, that her plans might hurt him. “I'm sorry Joe, I should've told you the truth.”
“The truth?” Joe asked. He was confused by her words and the distance he could feel her putting between them.
“Yeah kid,” Tom interrupted as he came up to the car.
“Tom? What are you talking about?” Joe was growing more confused by the moment.
“Just picking up my date Little Joe,” Tom smirked. He laughed at the expression on Cartwright's face. “You didn't think she'd want to go out with a little boy when she could have a man, did you?”
Joe glared at Tom before turning to face Sarah. Seeing the truth on her pretty face, his face burned with humiliation. “Why didn't you just go out with him to begin with? Why lie to me?”
“I'm sorry Joe,” Sarah whispered. “My dad would never let me date somebody like Tom, it was the only way I could think of to get away from your ranch without him knowing the truth.”
Tom opened Sarah's door, a smirk on his face. “Like I said, thanks for bringing my date. Now why don't you go along like a good little boy,” he sneered.
With those words, Joe felt his control snap. Drawing his legs up, he braced himself on the door frame and seat, launching himself from the small convertible. He didn't waste words on the cowboy; hurtling himself at the older man, he laid into him with his fists.
It was a short fight. Joe had been in plenty of fights and knew how to take care of himself, but Tom was half a foot taller than him and outweighed him by fifty pounds. Add to that the ten years of experience the other man had on him, and Joe didn't stand a chance of winning the fight. As he lay in the dirt, dazed from the fight, he heard Tom's jeep start up, followed by the sound of Sarah and Tom laughing as they drove away.
“Are you sure he's going to be all right Tom?” Sarah asked as she let him escort her to the jeep. She had been shocked when Joe had launched himself at Tom. He had no right to attack the man like that; they weren't going together. A small voice, which she chose to ignore, reminded her that Joe had every right to feel angry about being used.
“Oh sure honey, he'll be fine. Joe's a hot-headed kid, I guarantee you this isn't the first fight he's been in and lost,” he assured her with a laugh. Leaning over he kissed her cheek as he started the jeep, “You're cute when you worry.” The teasing had the effect he hoped for, bringing an embarrassed laugh from the young woman.
After a while, Joe pulled himself up, staggering back to his car and sliding behind the wheel. Glancing at his watch, he saw it was nearly eleven. “Damn, how long was I laying there?” he wondered. Well at least he wouldn't have to figure out whether to go home yet or not. By this time of night his family should all be in bed. Starting the car he headed towards the ranch. As he drove, he wondered if Sarah had gotten back yet. With that thought he realized that if she felt the need to sneak around behind her father's back then he might be waiting up for her. If she hadn't returned yet and he showed up alone... “What I'm worrying about? If she gets caught lying to her old man it's her own fault.”
When Joe pulled up to the ranch house he saw that his suspicions had been right on the money. As he moved the car into his normal parking space, his headlights caught a figure near the corner of the house. Sighing heavily, he turned the car off and slowly got out of the vehicle.
“Where the hell is my daughter Cartwright?” Mike Bowers demanded.
“I wouldn't know Mr. Bowers, why don't you ask her where she went when she gets home,” he snapped. He was trying to keep a hold of his infamous temper, not an easy task when he was in pain and feeling like ten kinds of a fool.
Bowers narrowed his eyes as the boy moved past him and into the light of the porch light. Reaching out he grabbed Joe's shoulder, spinning him around. “What is that supposed to mean? She left here with you and now you come back alone, looking like you went three rounds with Mike Tyson. If you hurt my little girl Cartwright...”
Joe's anger flared, “Me hurt her?” he yelled. “I never laid a hand on her, I wouldn't ever hurt a woman, no matter what she did to me.”
“Surely you're not trying to tell me that Sarah did that to you?”
“No, but it was because of her. Your daughter just used me to get away from you so she could go out with one of the local cowboys. I didn't appreciate being used or the stuff he said to me and we got in a fight.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
Joe rubbed a hand tiredly through his hair. “Believe what you want Mr. Bowers,” he snapped. Turning away from the older man, he again started towards the house. As he stepped onto the porch, he looked back at Sarah's father. “You could always wait up and see who she comes home with if you don't believe me. The man's name is Tom Rivers, he's driving an old jeep and probably has a few bruises of his own.” Straightening, he headed into the house; his only plan, to take a hot shower and fall into bed.
Ben looked up from his book as the door opened. He waited for Joe to set the alarm before he spoke. “I'd like to talk to you Joseph,” he calmly stated.
Joe jerked in surprise, his heart falling to his stomach. “Could it wait for morning Dad?” He had to try, though he knew it was useless. As expected, his father denied his request, insisting that he join him in the family room.
“I am proud of what you accomplished with Widowmaker Joe,” he began. The lift his words brought to the young man's shoulders wasn't unexpected, nor was the fall of those same shoulders his next words brought. “However, that doesn't excuse the fact that you ignored my order, endangering not only yourself but everybody around that corral.”
Joe could feel his temper rising. He bit his lip, a small whimper escaping as his teeth scraped at the already sore skin.
“Joe?” Ben questioned.
Joe could hear the questions and concern contained in that one word. He didn't want to answer any of them, but he knew it would be useless to try to avoid them. “I'm fine Dad, just a little sore I guess.”
“Sore? Adam didn't say anything about you getting thrown.”
“I didn't,” Joe admitted. “I ran into a little trouble tonight...”
“You were in a fight you mean?” Ben cut him off.
Joe winced, clearly hearing the disappointment in his father's voice.
“When are you going to learn to control that temper of your's young man?”
“Why do you assume that it was my temper that caused the fight?” Joe angrily demanded. “It never even occurred to you that maybe I had a good reason for being in a fight, did it? No,” he continued, answering his own question. “Of course it didn't. I'm just the dumb kid around here, isn't that it Dad? The stupid little boy that isn't ever going to grow up, right?” he yelled.
“I never said any such thing Joe,” Ben denied. He was shocked by the anger coming from his youngest.
“Didn't you Dad?” Joe scoffed. “If Adam had come to you, and said I think I can break Widowmaker, would you have told him to drop it?”
“Yes I would have, that horse was too dangerous for anybody to ride.”
“Maybe you would have,” Joe conceded, “but you would have heard him out first. You wouldn't have cut him off before he could explain and just told him to drop it. Just like you wouldn't be telling Adam to watch his temper if he was in a fight; you'd ask him what happened first.”
Ben sighed, he hadn't realized he was treating his youngest unfairly. Maybe Joe had a point, but then lately the boy had been acting more like a sixteen year old kid instead of a nearly twenty year old man. “You're right, but then Adam doesn't act like a bad tempered child, did you think of that?” He couldn't seem to help giving into the need to defend himself.
It hurt, more than he could say, to know his father felt that way about him. As he opened his mouth to respond, he suddenly realized there was nothing he could say that would convince his father he deserved the same respect as his brothers. Turning away, he hurried up the stairs to the bathroom.
Ben sank back into his chair, shaking his head at his own stupidity. The boy had just told him, in so many words, that he felt he wasn't being treated with the same respect as his brothers. Like a fool, his response was to accuse him of acting like a bad tempered child. He wanted nothing more than to follow Joe upstairs. The need to apologize was nearly overwhelming, but he didn't move. His own temper was too close to the surface to allow any hurt feelings to be soothed, in fact if he tried he'd likely only make it worse.
TBC